


It's Not Pedophilia if It's Just A Three Year Age Gap (Right?)

by shipitlikeTitanic



Category: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TV 2012), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Courtship, F/F, F/M, Family, Fluff, High School AU, M/M, One-Sided Attraction, Pining, Romance, Romantic Comedy, Slow Build, i dont know how to tag? tell me if i missed something, im not built for that, no heavy things aight, tmnt human au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-10
Updated: 2016-12-24
Packaged: 2018-08-14 05:53:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 9,957
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8000950
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shipitlikeTitanic/pseuds/shipitlikeTitanic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Later, as Chris and Xever had climbed into Chris's pickup truck, Xever had struck up a conversation. "I didn't know the Hamatos had a little brother. They sure hid him well."</p><p>"That boy's really damn hot, Xever."</p><p>"Fala serio," Xever had groaned. "This is your worst idea yet."</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> rarepair time: one-sided Mikey/Chris. Don't know if I'll make it mutual, though, I just can't see it happening. But, we'll see!!!!!!!!
> 
> Also, povs will jump from character to character, so there'll be many arcs in here. All unplanned. I don't know what I'm doing.

"Come on, Xever, just this one favor." Chris Bradford, football star and teen heartthrob, was unaccustomed to pleading. Usually, one word from him and his wish was granted. Unfortunately, this was not the case for his best friend, of all people.

"Any other time and I would be supportive." Xever gracefully opened his locker and surveyed the contents with a keen eye. Martial arts, coupled with ballet, made it seem like Xever danced with every move he made. Even the way his accent had a musical lilt to it. Whereas Xever was grace and smooth curves, Chris was fury and rough edges. Their differences always had them clashing, yet their friendship withstood all the fights and the stonewalling.

"What's different about now?" Chris tried--and failed-- to keep the growl out of his voice. Xever glared at him from the corner of his eye, no doubt picking up on Chris's irritation.

"He's a Hamato," Xever hissed. "Did you catch a football with your head, hmm? His brother hates me, so by extension, he'd hate me too."

Raphael Hamato, known bad boy and troublemaker, never got over the fact that Xever had beaten him in wrestling class back in tenth grade. Granted, Xever had used underhanded tricks, but if Raph was as good as he had claimed he would've found a way to get past them.

"Excuses!" This time Chris didn't bother hiding his annoyance. He rolled his eyes at his best friend, who sneered right back. "Leonardo doesn't hate you. He's clearly civil with us."

"But Donatello pretends I don't exist. And from what I observe, Raphael and Michelangelo are quite close."

"Fine!" Chris pushed himself away from the lockers. "Chris Bradford doesn't need a wingman anyway!" He marched down the hall in his typical arrogant fashion, taking up as much space as he could, despite the fact that the corridor was empty. As he pushed opened the door, he turned to Xever and glared. "Why are you following me?"

Xever snickered. "I'm not here to support you. Quite the contrary. I'm here to witness the trainwreck you're about to unleash."

"Trainwreck?" Bradford's stomps got angrier, sending kids moving out of his way. "What you're about to witness is a smooth cruise down the highway." Xever murmured something under his breath while rolling his eyes.

Chris's frown turned into an interested smirk as he spotted his target. Hanging upside down a tree with golden curls and a blinding smile, Michelangelo Hamato chattered to his scary senior friend, complete with arm gestures.

Mikey's mouth slowed to a stop, and he crossed his arms over his chest, a look of content resting on his face. Suddenly, he began to look around, making Bradford falter mid-step. Xever gave him an inquisitive look.

Bradford shook his head and shouldered on, ignoring Xever's amused smile. If Mikey happened to spot him, so be it. Chris would be sure to give him his handsomest, most heart snatching smile if it came to it.

"Yo, Bradford!" Upon hearing the rough voice, Xever cursed.

Chris gritted his teeth as he looked over his shoulder. Raphael stood behind him, arms crossed and equipped with a scowl. Nobody would've mistaken Raphael and Mikey as brothers. With auburn hair and angry green eyes and a short, buff stature, Raph was as far from Mikey as he could get. The only thing the Hamato brothers shared in common was their sun tanned skin, although Donnie's paled in comparison.

"Don't waste my time." Chris turned around and met Raphael's glare with his own.

"Coach told me to tell you that practice is cancelled today."

Chris' scowl deepened. "He tell you why?"

"Yeah, but I don't want to waste your time by telling you." Raph smirked as Chris clenched his fists, a vein throbbing on his neck. "If you really wanna find out, maybe ask a teammate that doesn't hate you."

Xever bristled. "How about you--"

"I'm surprised you two are out here." Raph spared Xever a bored glance before focusing on Chris again. "You're usually mucking around inside, pretending that--" He went on a smug tirade he thought was smart, and in Chris's great disinterest that words started blurring together. Chris had a tendency to filter out irrelevant people, and it worked to his advantage.

Slowly, Chris turned sideways, so he could sneak glances at Mikey while Raph played playground bully. Smiling, he drank in the sight of the young Hamato, his laughter and his winks and his cheesy finger guns. Raph's words began slowing down and clearing up, and Chris realized his mistake too late.

"Hey, whatcha lookin' at? Bradford, I'm talking to you. Who gave you the right to smile while I'm--"

Chris snapped his attention back to Raphael, whose eyes had already followed what Chris was looking at. As Raph's eyes widened with realization, Chris tensed, readying himself.

"This is a joke." Raph's aura shifted, his eyes cold and his body unnaturally relaxed. While awhile ago being near Raph felt like standing next to harmless fire, like a matchstick, now it felt like a ticking bomb waiting to detonate. "Tell me this is a joke."

Even Xever shifted on his feet uncomfortably. He shot Chris the warning glance he only used when the cops came around the corner while they were trashing some kid's house. Urgent and all kinds of scared.

The silence stretched too long for Raph's liking, whose eyes seemed to turn to ice.

Chris wasn't sure what set them off-- perhaps a shift in the muscle, the darkening glare, a slight tilt of the head-- but before he realized, he and Xever took off running, Raph's angry yells following them.

-

"You know, it'd be pedophilia by next year."

Chris was an inch away from hanging up. He was apprehensive for the rest of the day, taking out his frustrations in the dojo. With every satisfying hit he landed on the dummy, Raph took its place in Chris's mind. After marginally backing away from a violent breakdown, he decided to call Xever for a venting session. Only, it wasn't working well.

"He's fifteen, you're seventeen-- Wait!" Obnoxious laughter blasted through the phone. Chris mashed the volume down button angrily. "Your birthday's in November, right? Oh, this is too good," Xever wheezed. "You're turning into a pedophile in a few months!"

Chris hung up before throwing his phone on the couch. Hastily, he picked it up again, murmuring an apology to his beloved new phone. Scrolling through his contacts list, his frown grew as he realized he didn't have one "friend" who wouldn't lie to him. All of them were ass kissers or social climbers, and the few who did have good intentions wouldn't have the brains to possibly advise him. Finally, his eyes landed on a name.

Bugface.

Reluctantly, he made the call.

"Baxter Stockman, to whom am I speaking to?"

"Shut your mouth nerd. I've got a problem for you."

Chris made a quick summary of his situation: the overprotective, overly violent brother (who was also his enemy) of his new crush found him out and would no doubt ruin his chances by telling on him. Of course, Chris omitted the names. He was smart enough to avoid giving Baxter any leverage. They hated each other to bits, but they had the typical jock-nerd agreement: do Chris's homework, and no one would bother Baxter.

Baxter remained silent for a few moments, putting Chris on edge. Then he said, "You know, I don't think Raphael would tell Michelangelo."

At that, Chris jumped out the window. Well, he didn't, but he damn near did. Instead, he yelled in a voice that rivaled the entire school screaming at once, "How the hell do you know?"

Baxter yelped. "Well!" he squeaked, "You may have enemies, but the one person you feel threatened by is Raphael Hamato, who happens to have a baby brother he's very protective of."

"You tell anyone," Chris spat through gritted teeth, "and I swear you won't make it out of the school alive."

"Calm down!" Baxter's voice rose by an octave. "I won't tell, jeez. As much as I dislike you, I do have an inkling of respect for you."

The hell is an inkling? Chris thought furiously. "You'd better not. Now, you were saying?"

"I said, Raphael most likely wouldn't tell Mikey. Mikey's unnaturally innocent for his age. He knows what crushes are, but I don't think he's aware that everyone gets them during high school, much less dating. If Raphael tries to tell Mikey to stay away from you, that curious kid will only attack him with questions. None of his big brothers want him to become, erm, aware of romance. I swear, they baby him too much."

"I'm not here for gossip," Chris said, but he had relaxed during Baxter's reasoning. It did make sense. The older Hamatos were the type to avoid the talk at all costs. Dishonorable cowards, the lot of them. "So what, you think I'm in the clear?"

"Oh, I wouldn't say that," Baxter sang, a bit too amused for Chris's liking. "Raph would no doubt alert the other Hamatos. I'd say watch your step."

"They wouldn't try anything," Chris said dismissively. Leonardo acted as leader of his little band of brothers, and he'd never allow initiating a fight. Raph snuck past Leo's big brother radar from time to time, but even he was careful not to disobey Leo's orders when he was around.

"But you would, obviously. And if they catch you . . . I'm afraid my money won't be on you and your little posse."

"No one will catch me." Chris clenched his fist as he spoke firmly. "And no one will know except for you, me, Xever and those bastards."

"I don't understand that."

"Do I have to spell it out for you? I thought you were smart."

"No, I don't understand why you're keeping it secret. You've made moves on boys before and you've never cared about what the others said. Everyone's pretty much accepted you. What's so different about Mikey?"

"Quit assuming, flyhead. So what if I didn't want to put my business out there?" Chris had spat it out with a little too much fire, and that was all it took for Baxter to read him for his life.

"Wait, no. Bradford, tell me this is a joke." Raph's venomous voice echoed in his head with the familiar words, making Chris wince. "Of all the people you could take seriously, you had to pick a young and naive kid?"

"Stop being stupid!" Chris yelled desperately. "Liar!" He hung up and flung his phone on the mattress

After the phone call, Chris sat on his bed, deep in thought. For as long as he could remember, he and Xever had jokingly coined the term "babesexual." As long as that person was attractive enough, Chris went for it. Forget anatomy and gender and all that confusing science stuff. If it was pleasant enough to look at, why not?

He'd never dated anyone in their high school though, mostly going for college kids. Teenagers who fumbled around with their identities in confusion turned him off. The hot girl who once dressed emo was now switching looks every month just to keep up with the trends. People at his place changed too much just to please others, and if there was one thing Bradford hated, it was ass kissers.

College kids, however, seemed to stop giving a shit. They were themselves and were unapologetic about it. Although they had themselves figured out, everything else in their life was a mess they desperately tried to straightened. Chris preferred that over kids who were a mess themselves and made no move to fix themselves.

Of course, there were a few exceptions to the rule. There were background characters, who were stable but too uninteresting, there was Karai and Shinigami, who he decidedly did not like for their cocky and condescending attitudes, there were the Hamatos, who he'd once thought was a trio until new school year rolled around with a new batch of freshmen.

Mikey took high school by storm by pranking the faculty during orientation (the Powerpoint presentation prepared featured a South Park montage), landing himself in detention (it took all three of his brothers, along with security, to finally chase him down) and earning himself almost the entire female population as his fans.

As he was being dragged to the exit door, he insisted on his innocence ("I don't even know what South Park is!") and as he clung to the door for dear life, he had screamed, "Release the butterflies!"

Right on cue, butterflies swarmed the auditorium, a cluster so thick kids couldn't see two feet in front of them. Screams engulfed the auditorium which eventually died down as people began taking selfies with a live butterfly background. Phones emerged, notifications alive from Snapchat, Twitter and Instagram.

It took some time before the high school body calmed down, and by then the older Hamatos had returned. Leo had publicly apologized, looking severely embarrassed and humbled (but still looking good while doing it, damn him, girls all around were swooning).

"He used to this every year," Leo had explained. Behind him, Raph snorted while Donnie nervously pulled on his collar. "He didn't do it last year, so we weren't really expecting this."

"It's our fault, really," Donnie had smiled apologetically as he took the microphone. "Please don't be mad at our little brother, he's just a bit--"

His voice was drowned out by Woody yelling, "Your bro's super cool, bro!" which inspired some of the students to take up the call. All three brothers had sagged from relief.

Later, as Chris and Xever had climbed into Chris's pickup truck, Xever had struck up a conversation. "I didn't know the Hamatos had a little brother. They sure hid him well."

"That boy's really damn hot, Xever."

"Fala serio," Xever had groaned. "This is your worst idea yet."


	2. the path of peace

The best way to test how deep the shit Chris was in was through Leonardo. If Leo continued on as his civil, good boy self (gross), then maybe Raphael had decided to keep it to himself. If Leo sent him the look of judgment and loathing no one had ever seen him do yet, then Chris was neck deep in it.

Donatello and Raphael were both juniors, same as Chris, while Leo was a senior. Chris was unsurprised by the dark looks they kept sending his way, but Leo's reaction would be the one to decide his fate.

During free period, Chris dropped by the library, hoping to find Leonardo there and maybe test the waters. To his surprise and utter joy, Mikey sat alone in the far corner, head in a book and hands in his hair.

Chris hovered at some distance away, hiding behind a bookshelf. When Mikey lifted his head, Chris's heart dropped to his feet.

Dark bags colored beneath Mikey's eyes, and his trademark grin was nowhere to be found. In its place was a hopeless, self-loathing kind of frown, and beneath the light his skin looked paler than normal.

Now, Chris was aware that Mikey's grades was lacking a bit, but the way Mikey moved sluggishly and sadly-- it was like he was trapped in a body he didn't want. A thick layer of insecurity had wrapped itself around Mikey and Chris itched to rip it away.

"Chris?"

Lo and behold-- just a few meters away stood Leonardo, expression unreadable. Chris gulped. While many mistook Raph as the most dangerous Hamato, Chris wasn't fooled. The way Leo acted sometimes . . . Chris shuddered.

Leo took a few careful steps forward. "What are you doing here?"

"I . . ." Chris searched for anything, anything to save him, but he knew good and well that he was screwed. Instead, he sent a desperate prayer to God not to let him die.

Leo took one step to the side, looked past Chris, and his eyes changed.

While Raphael was a ticking bomb, Leo was a volcano on the verge of erupting. Right now, Chris experienced the moment of silence yet absolute panic right before a calamity: birds flying, people praying, kids sobbing . . .

In a split second, Leo let a tiny trickle of lava out. He lashed out too quick for Chris's eyes to follow, and had Chris pinned to a wall.

Chris's eyes widened as Leo stared him down, dark eyes acting like black holes ready to suck the life out of him. For a few tense seconds, Leo glared, before releasing him then walking towards Mikey.

Chris released a huge rush of air and waited for his heartbeat to slow down. He might have been built for confrontation, but a truly angry Leonardo Hamato was not a fight he would win.

Briefly, he wondered if Mikey was worth all the pain and suffering he was sure to go through. Then, he remembered how his heart soared at seeing Mikey smile and joke, and how his heart clenched in agony at seeing him tired and despairing . . .

He slid down the wall and sat, listening to the inaudible conversation between Mikey and Leonardo. The occasional laughter from Mikey made Chris smile, but then he'd hear the worry in Leo's voice, and then Chris would worry too.

Minutes passed and his class had already started, but he didn't care. He sent a quick text to Xever that he wouldn't be in class, who replied with, "Don't I know it."

Later, he heard the shuffling of books and chairs pushed back. Footsteps neared him, but Chris figured them to be in the other aisle until he heard a concerned, "Whoa, dude! You okay?"

Chris's heart stopped, what is air, why couldn't he move, is this even his body--

"I'll take care of this Mikey, you go on ahead."

"Oh, alright. You know how to fix everything and everyone, anyway!"

Any chance that Chris could possibly forget about him was utterly destroyed by Mikey's adorable voice addressing him with worry.

"Why are you still here?" Chris looked up at Leonardo, who looked part angry, part confused.

"You saw how he was." Chris stood to look Leonardo in the eye. "He looked miserable. I just wanted to make sure he was okay."

Leonardo huffed. "That's my job, so I'd appreciate it if you back off." But as he walked off, a huge grin spread over Chris's face. Leonardo Hamato, despite being the scariest, was definitely the easiest to mellow out. Donatello had trust issues and Raphael was Raphael, but Leonardo couldn't help but be reasonable. And where Leo went, the others followed. Hopefully.

-

"You know, I don't think Mikey's in any real danger."

Leo had just effectively ruined big bro movie night. Raph sprang up from the couch, eyes blazing, Donnie had dropped the bowl of popcorn in shock, and Casey choked on his energy drink.

"What the hell--"

"Argh, the popcorn--!"

"It went through my nose, dudes--"

"Alright, quiet!" Leo's sharp voice cut through the commotion, but Raph wasn't having any of it.

"What's up with you, Fearless?" Raph sneered, and Leo's eyes narrowed. "I thought you were the all powerful lord and protector!"

"I so am," Leo shot back, crossing his arms. "And as all powerful lord and protector, I say you're overreacting!"

"Ooooh!" Casey called, high fiving himself. Donnie cowered behind the empty bowl in his hands.

"Who do you think Chris Bradford is, Leo? He's a law-breaking punk and entitled jerk and--"

"Head over heels for Mikey," Leo finished. "If you saw him too in the library, you'd change your mind."

"What happened in the library?" Casey asked, readying himself for some juicy gossip.

Leo told the story in great detail, with Casey oooh-ing and ahhh-ing at every interval. When he was finished, Raph crossed his arms.

"So we're going to let him near Mikey, just 'cause he acted like a lost puppy?" Raph scoffed.

"Absolutely not. If he tries to woo Mikey, we'll give him a lesson he'll never forget. But stressing about Bradford, keeping an active eye out. . . it's all a waste of energy. We originally thought he'd trick or manipulate Mikey, but that possibility is out the window."

Reluctantly, Raph settled into his place between Donnie and Leo, Casey between his feet. Donnie didn't look too convinced, however, and Raph still looked murderous.

Leo sighed. The path of peace was a road uncommonly traveled by his brothers, but he had to try to steer them to it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I still remember that Donnie has trust issues!!!!!!!!!
> 
> (short chapter, sorry, but it felt like the right time to end it)


	3. two options

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GET READY

Karai inspected row after row of perfume with sharp eyes, hand on hip. Shinigami's giggles floated through the shop as she shamelessly sampled perfume while the sales lady wasn't looking.

Gagging, Karai turned to her friend. "Quit it, Shinny, the smell's mixing up. How am I supposed to pick?"

"You are too picky!" Shinigami closed the bottle and put it back on the shelf before grinning at Karai. "Why not just buy them all!"

"I will only pick what is worthy." Karai sniffed at one gingerly before snapping it shut. "I have standards, you know."

"How about this?" A dark blue box seemingly materialized in Shinigami's hand, then she tossed it to Karai. Catching it effortlessly, she sampled the scent before smiling in content.

"Hey, I've been looking for this! It's my favorite scent!" She checked the label, noting the name: Wisteria Woes. 

"Is it now?" Shinigami's giggles became a higher pitch. "It used to mean nothing to you, and yet it is so special now."

Karai rolled her eyes. "I have no idea what you're talking about so I'll just leave you to it."

"Leonardo said he liked that perfume!" Shinigami blurted out, grinning like a cat.

Karai froze for a millisecond before composing herself. "Boys don't get perfumes." She wanted to hit herself for that clumsy response, but she continued, "All that perfume clearly made you delusional. Wait for me outside while I buy this."

Shinny skipped out gleefully, singing at the top of her lungs, "Karai and Leo sitting on a tree! K-I-S-S oh em gee!"

"Zip it!" Karai yelled after her, willing the blush on her cheeks to die.

As she exited the shop, humiliated, Shinigami said, "I'm going to ditch you now."

"Your parents are here and you didn't tell them you were going out." Karai tilted her head to the exit door. "Well? Move it."

"See you!" Shinigami waved enthusiastically as she walked off, almost hitting a few people along the way.

As Karai strolled around the mall like she owned it, she checked out every store display she passed by. Frequent visits to Sephora would make her seem loyal, and she was not about to surrender her loyalty to just any shop. 

To her pleasant surprise, Mikey exited a coffee shop, two large cups in his hands and his turtle backpack still on. Devising a plan to surprise him, she toned down her power walk and blended in with the crowd.

-

When Mikey arrived at the park, he collapsed under a tree, brought out his books and began to study.

Several tests were coming up and his gut wrenched at having to pass a failed paper to Splinter. While Leo and Donnie passed with flying colors and Raph barely scraped by, Mikey's grades were low enough to reach the end of the alphabet.

He couldn't understand why his brain just couldn't handle information, but he had to try. So he forged on, trying to make sense of the blurry text on paper.

A shadow fell across the page, making Mikey look up. Smirking down at him was Chris Bradford, decked out in a varsity jacket and the smell of cologne.

Mikey grinned, despite his confusion. His brothers had talked about Chris before, and they rarely had anything good to say. Despite that, Mikey refused to judge. "Whoa, hey dude! You're Chris Bradford!"

"That, I am." Wow. The guy exuded so much arrogance Mikey expected his own self-confidence to spike just by being around him. He certainly hoped so. "Mind if I sit?"

"Sure, bro." Mikey scooted over, rearranging some of his notes. Grabbing one of the still closed coffee cups, he offered it to Bradford. "Want some?"

"Nah, I'll pass." Chris' smile seemed to widen by the second. It made Mikey happy, seeing someone so happy, so he grinned back.

"My name's Michelangelo Hamato! But you can call me Mikey, since Michelangelo's too long."

"Michelangelo Hamato," Chris said slowly, as if tasting the word on his tongue. His freakishly huge smile grew bigger. "Probably wondering why I'm here, aren't ya?"

Mikey blinked. "Well, yeah, but that doesn't mean you're not welcome!"

"Would you like to find out?" This time, Chris's grin turned into a cocky smirk.

Mikey scratched his head. It felt like Chris was challenging him, but he couldn't figure out what or why. "Yeah, dude!"

"I'm here to give you two options." Chris leaned forward suddenly, forcing Mikey to press himself against the tree. His face was really close, and his gaze was sharp enough to pierce a hole into Mikey's head. Beside his head, Chris had firmly planted his hands against the tree. 

Mikey gulped, recalling all the scary stories his brothers had said about Chris-- all the vandalism, breaking and entering, fights . . .

"First option is you date me."

Mikey blinked. Chris leaned forward a bit more until their noses touched.

"Second option is I court you until you date me. End is the same, but the second option takes a bit longer. Why don't we save ourselves the time and effort and you just go out with me?"

"W-wha--"

Chris eased off, but they were still close enough for people to get the wrong idea. He winked and said, "I'll give you some time, but by tomorrow I'll expect an answer." He glanced at Mikey's notes, and his smile dropped a bit. "You're a smart kid, Mikey, I'm sure you know which choice is easier."

He left, leaving Mikey gaping at his notes. And when Karai came up behind the tree and whispered "boo," Mikey screamed.


	4. finding salvation in wikihow

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> kind of a filler chapter, because i am trying to get back into the swing of things. but if you wanna see tension build, better not skip this one!

Well and truly on his own, Mikey gathered what little brains he had and wracked it for a solution.

His first instinct when facing a dilemma was to run to his brothers. They'd tell him what to do or do it for him. However, with the case of Chris Bradford, Mikey's gut feeling told him that tattling would only make things worse.

Mikey walked down the street with a little more purpose, tilting his chin up and puffing his cheeks out. He was fifteen, and contrary to popular belief, not a baby. He could deal with bullies and hormones and hormonal bullies with no problem.

Unfortunately, Karai was already on his case. A little while ago, their conversation in the park felt more like an interrogation.

_"Why so jumpy, Mikey?" she sipped from his coffee cop, raising a perfectly arched eyebrow._

_Mikey laughed nervously, scratching at his cheek. "Oh you know, brain dead-- what? Hahaha! Crazy, right?"_

_The mischievous light in Karai's eyes faded as she scrutinized him carefully. "Did something happen?"_

_"No," Mikey said quickly. When she dished him the laser eye stare she damn near patented, Mikey followed up with a "Everything's totally rad, sis! Like, all's so cool, I had to get myself a cup of coffee just to keep warm."_

_"Mikey."_

_He gulped. "Yes?"_

_"Do I look like I learned to apply make-up yesterday?"_

_Taking in her perfectly winged eyeliner, razor sharp eyebrows and dark red lips, he shook his head._

_"Then you must think I'm a fool." Eyes still narrowed, Karai tilted her head at the coffee in his hands. "That is iced coffee, Mikey."_

_Mikey made a mental note to never try to play Karai again._

If there was anyone he had to watch out for, it was Karai. Among his siblings, Karai and Raph acted as FBI-- always trailing behind you, always jumping on your case, always ready for a fight. Ironic how the self-proclaimed tough kids acted as the overprotective, doting mother type, but no one dared to say it to their faces.

That night, in the house, Mikey holed himself in his room and spent hours on wikiHow.

_How to reject a pesky admirer in 11 steps (with pictures)_

_How to say no in 4 steps_

_How to avoid getting into a relationship in 6 steps (with pictures)_

With or without pictures, he was getting a lot of useful advice, so he made sure to take mental notes. He had almost reached for his notebook before stopping himself from making that fatal mistake. A suspicious big sister would be sure to sniff out any incriminating evidence, and it wouldn't take long for her to connect the dots.

The steps were easier said than done, and it scared Mikey that he had to use them against a much older, much stronger junior. One of the most commonly repeated steps was to "be firm in his reply," but when it came to a battle of wills Mikey wasn't sure he'd win.

Mikey closed his laptop with determination. He had to. He was well trained in the art of ninjutsu, a master prankster, and a fantastic cook and baker. He may be stupid and clumsy and selfish and annoying and irritating and whoa that got too long, but his father didn't raise a quitter, so quit he would not.

-

Raph's big brother senses was tingling all day, and it only heightened when Mikey slunk past them with a tiny "hey" before locking himself in his room.

He was five seconds away from knocking that blasted door down when Leo's own big brother senses stopped him. Leo suddenly materialized in front of Mikey's door and stared Raph down. "Whatever you were about to do, don't."

"I'm just tryna help!" Raph nearly yelled. The door to Donnie's room opened before clicking shut in less than a second. "You saw how-- how not okay he was!"

"You are overreacting again." Leo crossed his arms. "Mikey's been stressing out all week about his upcoming tests-- just give him a little space."

"I knew that. But, I dunno, this kinda feels different. Leo, don't tell me you don't feel it too!"

Leo massaged his temples. "Raph, I get these kind of feelings every second of the day. I--"

"See?" Raph smirked smugly. "Your senses are dulled, compared to mine. Maybe you should trust my instincts more."

"Should I really?" Leo raised an eyebrow. "Because if your instincts are as sharp as you say, you would've noticed that Donnie had snuck past you."

There was an alarmed "eep!" down the hall, then the sound of a door closing. Raph scowled and shook his head before walking off, defeated.

Throwing one last glance over his shoulder at Mikey's shut bedroom door, he mumbled to himself, "But I could've sworn . . ."

-

With a head full of wikiHow and silent pep talk, Mikey skateboarded to school alongside his brothers, humming happily under his breath.

"Hey, Mikey."

Mikey slowed down, matching his speed with Raph's. "'Sup, bro?"

"Is something bothering you?"

Mikey nearly fell off his skateboard, but caught himself seconds away from imminent death. "W-whoa! Ha, why'dja think that?"

But the dangerous glimmer in Raph's eyes and the way they had narrowed into slits made it obvious that he had gotten his answer. "Alright, out with it." Ahead of them, Leo and Donnie had slowed down, no doubt eavesdropping.

Mikey fought hard to hide his pout. Why did they baby him all the time? When anyone else has a problem, they don't bug 'em as much as they do to Mikey!

"It's nothing, Raphie, I can take care of it."

Wrong thing to say to Raph. He had a full-fledged scowl on his face, and he had stopped walking, arm reaching out to stop Mikey too. Up ahead, Leo and Donnie stopped as well. Mikey resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Talk about obvious.

"If it's nothing, then why can't ya spit it out?"

Mikey fumbled with the straps of his bag. "B-because! I'm fifteen!" He straightened and tried to match Raph's stare, yet failed miserably. "You guys baby me too much. I wanna feel like-- like I'm allowed to grow up!"

"Of course you're allowed to grow up, Mikey." Leo stepped in, and Raph rolled his eyes. "We just worry. But if it's nothing like you say it is, then we'll trust you. Right guys?"

Raph said nothing; he walked on, shoulders tense. Donnie smiled at Mikey, but it didn't reach his eyes.

Just as they resumed their walk, with Raph a good distance away, Leo fell in step beside Mikey. "But if it isn't nothing, Mikey . . ." He said in a low, dangerous voice that sent chills up Mikey's spine, "Don't be surprised if we intervene." A loving smile invaded Leo's face as he clapped his baby brother's shoulder, before going to walk beside Donnie.

Mikey shuddered. He'd take an angry Raph over an angry Leo any day.


	5. Chapter 5

Despite preparing all night for a confrontation, Mikey avoided it at all costs. He kept a keen eye out for any signs of Chris's social circle, because those boys tended to flock to Chris like ducklings to their mother. So once he saw their group, he'd just walk in the opposite direction, even if it meant taking the long cut to his next room.

Just as he was making his way to study hall, peering over his shoulder with books clutched to his chest, he bumped into a lean, muscular form.

"Oof-- sorry dude!" Armed with a bashful smile guaranteed to charm him out of a situation, he looked up, and immediately dropped the smile. He paled, as Xever gave him a toothless, unsettling smile.

"Michelangelo Hamato." His accent made Mikey's name sound like lyrics to a foreign song, and the younger boy would've been ooh-ing and ahh-ing at it if Xever hadn't been bffs with Bradford. "Sneaking out?"

Mikey blinked in surprise. "Oh, no way dude! I'm gonna study in study hall." At that precise moment, Mikey wanted to take his skateboard and ride it out of the window. How could he be dumb enough to divulge his location to the enemy?

"Well, you were certainly acting suspicious, looking over your shoulder every two seconds." Xever's snake smile turned into a smirk as he raised an eyebrow. "Being followed?"

The window became more tempting by the second. "N-no. Umm . . . Ihavetogostudyforatestyo bye!"

Just as he scurried around Xever, Xever took one quick step and was in front of Mikey again. Mikey's jaw dropped. The guy moved like water-- even Leo would be impressed!

"I will stop being around the bush, now." Xever narrowed his eyes and loomed over Mikey, who shrunk in comparison. "What did that smelly Bradford do to you?"

Mikey ducked his head, hiding behind his hair. "I--I don't know what you're talking about."

"Your refusal to talk says it all. You and Chris both." Xever began to whine, "He is acting smug and condescending and I cannot deal with it anymore! Just tell me what he did and I'll tell him what he did is wrong."

Mikey peeked from behind his bangs. "How do you know what he did is wrong if you don't even know what it is?"

Xever waved a hand dismissively. "He's Chris Bradford. Of course he's wrong."

Mikey didn't get that, but he could tell it wasn't a very nice thing to say. Instead he said, "Why don't you just go ask him?"

Rolling his eyes, Xever said, "He refuses to tell me. He keeps saying I'll find out soon enough. And I will." Xever narrowed his eyes at Mikey. "Because you'll tell me."

All at once, wikiHow flooded Mikey's mind, pages and pages of pictures and articles surfacing from the depths of his memories and flashing in front of his eyes. Courage and knowledge welled within him, and he straightened, looking Xever dead in the eye.

Confused, Xever took a step back as Mikey's presence grew, almost encompassing the entire hall. He was-- fortitude, strength, wisdom, power. A touch of omniscience, an echo of a true warrior. He was . . .

_wikiHow._

From deep within him, thoughts and information swirled, until he touched his very core, and then his mind was quieted, save for one sentence.

_Be firm in your reply._

Drawing in a deep breath, Mikey said firmly, "I am _not_ a tattletale!" before rushing past Xever, too fast for his eyes to follow.

Xever stood there, stunned, wondering what the hell just happened.

-

_"Your little boy toy is crazy, Bradford."_

_"Mmm. Just the way I like it."_

-

Soccer practice went fantastically, just like it usually did. Instead of a fantastic shower to wrap up a fantastic day, however, something marginally went wrong.

Mikey was taking his sweet, sweet time showering, drowning out the voices of his teammates with the rushing water. After a few minutes, Woody broke through his tranquil bubble.

"Hey, Mike! We gonna wait for your turtle backside? What's taking you so long, bro?" He laughed.

Mikey stopped playing with the water. "Uh, nothing. You guys go on!"

"Your bro's waiting for you outside. Want me to take your bag to him so he has proof your alive? Donnie's looking mad stressed, I'm not kiddin' yo."

That prompted Mikey to hurry up. "Okay, give him my bag and tell him I was just relaxing and stuff." Donnie needed to take a chill pill, in Mikey's doctoral opinion. Three times a day every after meals for a week.

"You sure we gonna leave you here?"

Mikey rolled his eyes. Even his teammates baby him. "Yeah, dudes! Go ahead."

It proved to be a fatal mistake, however, when someone made off with his shirt. After drying himself with a towel and putting everything on except for a shirt, he frantically began to look under the benches and inside his bag.

Scouring the open lockers for any article of clothing, he whimpered Mondo's name under his breath. Mondo was the only guy his size in the team, he might have stuffed it in his bag or something . . .

Finally, the doors opened, and Mikey rushed to the door and yelled, "Mondo!"

. . . before running into the corner, curling into a ball, and opening a locker door so it would cover his shame.

Silence remained for a few seconds before a voice quietly said, "Well, wasn't that a sight to behold."

Mikey buried his face in his arms. "I don't want to talk to you right now." His feeble voice echoed in the empty room.

"Sorry, okay? I didn't mean to. I'll leave so you can change."

"Can't."

"Huh?" Bradford's voice sounded farther away.

Mikey raised his head a little, eyes trained on the floor. "I said, I can't. Someone took my shirt."

"Oh." 

Burying his head in his arms again, Mikey weighed the pros and cons of asking Chris to get Donnie for him. Before he could decide, something warm and heavy draped itself across Mikey's head and back. Mikey flinched in surprise.

"You can borrow my jacket." Chris sounded sympathetic, and it made Mikey feel a bit safer. "I can fetch one of your teammates or something. Got anyone on mind? Who was that guy you called-- Mondo?"

Slowly, Mikey pulled the jacket around him, looked up, and blinded Chris with a grateful smile. Chris, initially shocked, gathered himself and sent him a smile in return.

And that smile looked best on Chris, Mikey thought, because it wasn't playful or teasing or cocky or threatening. It looked unsure, yet happy, and a bit too real on Chris's all American muscle stereotype.

"Thanks, dude," Mikey said, putting the jacket on. "I thought you were gonna make fun of me."

Chris raised an eyebrow. "You know, the chances of me making a move on you is way higher than me making fun of you."

Mikey reddened. "How could you say those things without feeling . . . shy?"

Chris shrugged. "I'm honest." He held out a hand, which Mikey reluctantly accepted, letting Chris pull him to his feet. As expected, Chris was super strong, and he hauled Mikey up like he weighed nothing at all. Mikey felt self-conscious about his own strength; he felt like a dwarf compared to everyone.

To his chagrin, Chris kept a tight grip on his hand. Mikey pulled on it, but Chris only grinned.

"Dude, let go!"

"I'll let go when I feel like it."

After a one-sided tug of war, (Chris wasn't even trying!) Mikey allowed Chris to pull him to the door.

"But you'll let go once we get outside, right?" Mikey asked, eyes wide with worry. "Don's waiting for me."

"Pshh, of course, I'm not dumb." Before they could make it to the door, it flew open, Donnie's tall figure silhouetted against the setting sun. Mikey felt his heart freeze, and the hold Chris had on his hand loosened.

Donnie's eyes widened, flicking from Chris, to Mikey, to their intertwined hands, to Mikey in Chris's jacket, to the lack of shirt beneath the jacket . . .

Both boys tried to talk at once.

"Donnie, please, don't overreact--"

"Donatello, I--"

Donnie surged forward. Chris didn't even stand a chance.


	6. Chapter 6

Mikey screamed as Chris hit the ground with a loud thud. As he leapt forward to help, a hand made of steel latched itself onto Mikey's wrist and yanked him backward painfully, like it was trying to pull his arm right out of the socket.

Mikey squeaked in surprise as Donnie dragged him across the room behind a set of lockers, not once looking back or loosening his tight grip on his younger brother.

When Donnie finally released him, Mikey whimpered, rubbing at his wrist. Donnie was never rough towards him. Never. Don was gentle and kind and screechy at the worst. But the Don that stared down at him now, murder in his eyes and fury lining his every movement, fire etched in his face, almost felt like a stranger.

Before Mikey could speak, Donnie reached out and unzipped Chris's jacket with one hard yank then tore it off Mikey's frame. He pulled his own sweater off and tugged it harshly on Mikey.

"Michelangelo." All the hailstorms and thunder in the atmosphere could not begin to compare to the coldness in Donnie's voice. Mikey shivered, tears welling in his eyes as he hunched over in shame.

Because his brothers meant everything to him, and if they hated him, then he was worth nothing at all.

"Look at me." Ice turned to steel as Donnie delivered his command the way a general did before sending his soldiers to the front lines of a battle. A death sentence, a suicide mission. Mikey would love nothing more than to di—

"I said, look at me." A finger lifted Mikey's chin up, and he could clearly see the storms clear away from Donnie's face until he looked familiar again.

"Oh, Mikey." Donnie began wiping his baby brother's tears away with gentle fingers, shushing his sobs as they grew louder. However, Mikey did stop shivering, because the warmth in Don's voice and touch had returned.

"P-please," Mikey choked between sobs. Donnie pulled him forward and enveloped him with his long arms, with Don's chin resting on Mikey's head. Rubbing Mikey's back, Don kissed his brother on the forehead, murmuring "it's okay" over and over again.

Instead of burrowing deeper into the embrace, Mikey angled his face to the side so he could speak. "Chris didn't do anything wrong. We need to help him."

Donnie stiffened, hand hovering above Mikey's upper back. Before he could react, Mikey rushed on, desperately relaying the story between tears and sobs and hiccups, while Donnie remained quiet.

"He still harassed you, though," Donnie said, but by then he sounded like regular, indignant, self-righteous Donnie. "He kept taking your hand when you told him no."

"He could've done worse," Mikey said, and at that Donnie stiffened again.

"Which is why I don't regret hitting him. It was a fair warning, that's all."

Donnie allowed Mikey to check on Chris, and Mikey dashed away, only to find the hallway empty amd the doors closed. Pushing the door open, all Mikey could see ahead of him was the empty parking lot.

"Hey." Leaning against the wall, Chris smirked at him, sporting an ugly bruise on his chin. Blood splattered the conrete by his feet.

Mikey began to cry again. "Chris, I'm so sorry! You were just trying to help!" As his body racked with sobs, Donnie appeared behind him, reaching out to put a comforting arm around him. Mikey leaned in to his touch but kept his eyes on Chris, who looked like guilt was eating him alive.

"Come on, Mikey, don't feel bad." Chris nodded at Donnie. "I can respect why he hit me, and to be honest, I expected a lot more hurt."

"You would've gotten it," Donnie hissed, but he said no more as Mikey's sobs grew louder again.

"But dude! You were just trying to help me. A-and shouldn't that bruise be taken care of? I think I have some ice—"

Chris shrugged. "I called Xever, he's on his way. He was laughing at me the whole time, that bastard."

"Oh, him," Donnie spat with venom. Mikey tugged at his arm, and Donnie closed his mouth.

"I'm sorry I got you into this mess," Mikey said. "I'll make it up to you, I promise."

Chris almost glowed at that statement. He grinned. "I'll hold you to that."

"Excuse me?" Donnie ignored the way his brother squeezed his hand and started forward. "What are you insinuating—"

"You finally get what you deserve, you stinky bastard!" Xever rounded the corner, hands clutching his stomach as he laughed gaily. Chris scowled as his best friend wiped an imaginary tear from his eye. "Oh, Donatello, how ever could I thank you?"

"By keeping your friend away from my brother!"

"Hmm, a Herculean task." Xever lazily motioned for Chris to follow him. "Some of the boys came with me. They're eager to see the battle scars of their great leader." Xever's gaze slid from Chris to Mikey, and his smile turned into a Cheshire cat grin. "Crying over Bradford? Chris moves fast doesn't he?"

As they parted ways, Chris's eyes lingering on Mikey and Donnie's arm secure over his target, Mikey began to worry about his next problem.

Convincing Donnie not to tell Leo and Raph.


	7. Merry Christmas!!!!!!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> IM A JERK I KNOW IM SO SORRY I TOOK SO LONG
> 
> ANYWAY MERRY CHRISTMAS

As they walked down the road in silence, Mikey pushing his bike and Donnie texting on his phone, the purple crept across the orange sky as night slowly enveloped the city in a cold, windy embrace.

Feeling a bit bad for taking Donnie's sweater, Mikey huddled a bit closer to his big brother, who slung an arm over him but didn't stop texting.

Nightmarish scenarios overtook Mikey's mind with every word Donnie typed. Who was he texting and what was he saying? Big issues usually had to be said in person, but knowing Donnie, he'd give the rest of the Hamatos a little prelude.

Angling his head slightly to the left, Mikey peeked at Donnie's phone. The words load it with toppings flashed on the screen before Donnie faced the phone away. Mikey met Donnie's accusing glare with a sheepish grin.

"Don't be nosy."

"Sorry. Are we having pizza tonight?" Mikey began jumping up and down in excitement.

Donnie smiled faintly. "I guess the surprise is ruined."

"Ooooh boy!" Mikey ducked from under Don's arm and ran forward into a handspring, laughing gaily.

Donnie squealed. "Hey, not on the streets!"

"Sorry, D!" He toned it down on the excitement, but couldn't help the spring in his step. Nothing like pizza to salvage a bad day. Turning around, Mikey walked backwards, matching each step Donnie took.

Donnie took a small leap forward in an attempt to step on Mikey's precious and battle-hardened sneakers, but Mikey was a ninja. He spun away, tongue poking between his lips mockingly.

They continued on like that-- Donnie stomping around like a scrawny yet determined Godzilla, Mikey dancing around like a ballerina in street clothes. The sun touched the horizon, and as if saying goodbye, it kissed both boys golden, stretching their shadows on the street. The first few stars lingered above the clouds, blinking like eyes, watching curiously as troubled boys acted their age for once.

When they turned the corner to their street, procrastinating was no longer an option. Mikey had to confront Donnie right here, right now, with the newly born stars and the dying sun as his witnesses. Instead of looming like they usually did, the shadowy buildings seemed to stretch towards the sky, as if trying to climb their way out of the drama that was about to go down.

"Don?"

"Hmm?" Donnie halted mid-stomp, regarding his baby brother with curious eyes. Something about Mikey's meek tone must've alerted him.

Twiddling with the hem of his sweater, Mikey opted for an innocent smile. "So... about what happened awhile ago." At that, Don's face immediately darkened. The sun disappeared beneath the horizon, the stars dimmed, their shadows faded as the street turned dark.

Nevertheless, Mikey soldiered on. "Are you gonna... y'know, tell Leo and Raph about it?"

Donnie huffed. "Of course I am, Mikey. They deserve to know."

Some of the tension went out of the younger boy's shoulders, and his grin brightened, enough to lighten up their spot on the street. Donnie was snitching out of responsibility, not out of vengeance. There was a chance Mikey could turn things around. "But Donnie, they already worry about so much. And you know Raph might just make things worse."

The resolve on Donnie's face wavered, and it was enough incentive to send Mikey on a relentless attack. The weak point was Raph, and they both knew it. "Raph's not gonna let this slide. It's his junior year, dude! He's got a bad record already. We can't make it worse!"

Don hesitated. "Mikey--"

Wrapping his arms around himself, Mikey allowed the repressed guilt and worry to eat away at his heart. "I'll feel awful if Raph got in trouble because of me."

Donnie didn't stand a chance. His doubts, his hesitation, his misgivings all crumbled at the sight of his guilt-ridden baby brother, and the older brother he almost set up for trouble. There wasn't even much of a choice from a start, now that Mikey laid out the possibilities.

"Okay, I won't tell Raph. But Leo--"

"If we tell Leo," Mikey cut in, "and Raph finds out, how's he gonna feel?"

"Leo won't tell, and--"

"Leo's an awful liar. He's too goody-goody, dude."

Exasperated, Donnie dragged a hand down his face. Why did his pair of big brothers have to come as an explosive package? Why did his younger brother have to be a trouble magnet? A twinge of sheepishness appeared on Mikey's face as he took in the situation he wrapped his big brother in.

"Fine," Donnie snapped, crossing his arms. "But this means I'm in charge of this situation, and you can't run to anyone else about what I do or might do."

Mikey giggled. "Okay!" Although Donnie was a devastation of a boy, Mikey was a cacophony of catastrophes wrapped in a bright orange bow and sprinkled with glitters. Being silly and harmless was his shtick, but if it really came down to it, he could make his big scary brothers melt like putty in his hands.

He rarely did it, though-- it was disrespectful, and it was cheating. But hey, he's gotta do what he's gotta do, if the situation called for it.

So they entered the household as a united front, braving through endless questions of "Where have you been?" and "Do you know what time it is?" and the like, standing solidly as they were given the standard visual scan, and finally allowed to sit at the dinner table, where Yoshi sat like a king.

"Donatello, Michelangelo." The greeting was stern, and Mikey wavered under his father's all-seeing gaze. "What took you so long?"

"Sorry, Sensei." Rubbing at the back of his neck, he smiled sheepishly. "It was my fault."

"Mikey was fooling around in the locker room with his friends," Donnie said in his snitching voice, glaring at his brother with all authenticity. No doubt he was deserving of an Oscar-- not many could boast of lying to Hamato Yoshi. "He wouldn't have left if I hadn't dragged him out."

The steel in Yoshi's eyes turned fond. "Michelangelo," he chided. "You must always be aware of the time, especially if someone is waiting for you."

"Hai, Sensei."

Dinnertime resumed as usual, with Mikey throwing around jokes and Don and Raph shooting them down, Sensei occasionally interfering when Raph took some too personally. All throughout, Mikey watched Leo discreetly, who wasn't contributing much to the conversation. Even more alarming, the eldest had consumed only two slices instead of his usual five.

Smile fixed in place, Mikey ran through his options. He could test the waters by kicking Leo under the table and judging his reaction, but doing so could alert Leo of Mikey's perception and drive him to raise his guard up. Or Mikey could intercept Leo after dinner, but post-dinner time was free time, and Leo could easily dismiss his younger brother and retreat into his room.

Taking a huge bite of pizza, he opted for the first option. Not only would he have the element of surprise, Leo would also be at his most vulnerable when in the presence of others. Facing Mikey one-on-one wouldn't be as bad as having the entire table turn its eyes on you when Leo made a wrong move.

Mikey kicked Leo under the table, raising his eyebrows in concern. Leo stared back, something accusatory in his gaze, before dropping his eyes to his plate again.

Uh-oh. Swallowing the last bite of his pizza, Mikey stood up, announced his departure with one of his cheesy stock jokes, and hightailed it out of the room.

Only ten minutes in his sweet haven of a room, there was a knock on the door. Gulping, Mikey briefly considered pretending he was asleep.

"I know you're awake, Mikey."

The urge to vomit his heart out seized Mikey in a chokehold, and he floundered on his bed for a few seconds before squeaking, "Coming!"

Unlocking his door, Leo stood immovable as a mountain, eyes narrowed to slits. Mikey attempted a small smile.

"Hey, bro."

"Don't hey bro me." Leo stepped forward, forcing Mikey back. Too late did Mikey realize Leo was shutting the door behind him until it locked with a definite click.

Great. Now he was trapped with a volatile older brother. He wondered how hard it would be to wash out the potential vomit and tears on his carpet.

"We both know you weren't being completely honest about what happened awhile ago," Leo said, barely contained fury creeping in at the edge of his words. "Either you lied to Donnie, or he's covering up for you."

The safest option was to keep his eyes on the ground and his body perfectly still. Leo could read him all he liked-- all he was going to get out his baby brother was constant fear, no matter what he said.

"Donnie said you were fooling around with your teammates. But at exactly five thirty-two pm, the last of your teammates-- Mondo Gecko, I believe-- had left the locker rooms and rode his bike in the direction of his house. And at five forty six, Chris Bradford disappeared into the locker rooms."

Holy sh-- Leo was omnipotent. Mikey would've been jumping up and down at how cool it all was if he wasn't so close to crying.

"Start explaining, Mikey."

The dam broke loose. Tears flooded out of Mikey's eyes, and a gaggle of incoherent words fell from his mouth as he desperately tried to keep himself together. Flashes of Raph and Leo on a rampage appeared in his mind's eye, and his heart trembled at the possibility.

He hated being such a crybaby. He hated being himself, honestly.

But then, Leo's suffocating presence that once took up the whole room simmered down until it was anchored right in front of Mikey. Strong arms and the scent of incense enveloped Mikey in a warm hug, and so did the feeling of deja vu. Didn't this exact moment just happen with Donnie an hour ago?


	8. a story is told

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why the double update, you ask? Well i just discovered that i am the only one to use the mikey/chris tag here on ao3. I basically OWN it now. I laid claim to it, copyrighted this ship. I proclaim myself as queen of tmnt rarepairs!!
> 
> JOIN MEEEE

"You have to trust me, Leo, I lied 'cause I thought it was for the best! You're always so worried about everything— your future, Sensei's sickness, family problems, and I— I didn't want to add to the list."

"Oh, Mikey." Leo pet his little brother's hair gently, his other arm wound tightly around Mikey's waist. "You're not just some problem for me to worry about. If you have problems, I want you to always, always come to me. Do you understand?"

Mikey almost replied with a "Hai, Sensei," but caught himself at the last moment. "Okay, Leo."

"Now tell me what happened."

Mikey launched into the tale, interrupted by his own side comments— "that punch was totally sick, dude, I thought Chris was dead!"— and hiccups, leftover from his recent sobfest. He stumbled over his words at the beginning, face reddening when he had to recount his erm, shirtless moment with Bradford. Leo's hold on him tightened so much Mikey eventually choked, and Leo loosened up, but the tension in his shoulders didn't go away.

When Mikey was finished, the first thing that came out of Leo's mouth was, "Now I know why you didn't want to tell me."

"You do?" Relief seeped into Mikey's demeanor as the possibility of an understanding lingered at his fingertips, almost at reach.

"Of course. Because nothing's going to stop me from beating the shit out of Bradford, and I'm gonna have a little talk with Mondo, too."

"No!" Mikey cried out, wrenching free from Leo's grasp to give his big brother a full view of the distraught on his face. "Please, Leo!"

"Bradford could've turned around and called for Donnie," Leo snapped, "but he saw an opportunity and took it."

"He didn't even—"

"Do worse?" The dangerous gleam in Leo's eyes shut Mikey up. "He doesn't get points for being a half-decent human being."

Mikey rubbed at his cheeks helplessly. "I—" Words escaped him, and Leo's steel gaze had him feeling pinned to the floor. "I didn't want to cause trouble! I just wanted you all to be happy!"

"You're not causing trouble, Mikey." No matter how sincere Leo sounded, it still came across as a lie to Mikey's ears. "And I'll be happy once I get Bradford to stay away from you! I was wrong about him. To think I defended him to Raph and Don!"

"You did?" Mikey blinked in surprise.

"Yes!" Leo sounded frustrated and angry, but it was directed to himself, which tore Mikey's heart in two. "I let my guard down, and now this happened! Dammit. Oops, swear word, sorry Mikey."

"Don already punched him and Xever's going to give him the humiliation of a lifetime, Leo! Isn't that enough?"

"No." The finality in his tone would've beaten Mikey into submission once, but not anymore.

"Please, Leo, you have to let me fight my own fights. You all baby me! I know it's because of love, but sometimes it feels more like mistrust." Wow, what was he doing? These were words he wouldn't even dream of saying out loud, but here they were, out in the open.

Leo's eyes widened. "It's not like that, Mikey, and you know it!"

"Leo," Mikey said quietly. "Do you trust me?"

"I—" Leo hesitated, and when too many silent seconds passed, Mikey nodded sadly.

"I thought so."

**Author's Note:**

> please comment im lonely and thirsty!!!! be honest with what you think :) criticism is welcome!


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